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A letter of thanks to Dan Heap

I have recounted this story to friends and family a countless number of times with great pride. It is a story of a 21-year-old girl, alone with a baby girl, recently moved into the Alexandra Park subsidized housing complex in the area of Queen and Spadina. The young woman was trying to support herself and her baby (not quite 2 years old) on mother’s allowance. However, she had a dream of transforming her life by completing studies in the diploma nursing program at George Brown College. It is now 26 years later and the young woman has been privileged with a rich and varied nursing career. Today she is a clinical educator in the practical nursing program at the same institution — George Brown College — where she graduated from. In her personal life she was blessed with two other daughters. In addition, she was able to return to university to complete a bachelor of science in nursing and did so while supporting her children while employed as a nurse.

The young woman has dreamed many times of being able to say thank you to a man, a stranger, who extended his time and compassion to assist her in obtaining child care so she could attend to her studies knowing that her child was safe and well cared for. Being only 21 months at the time, the baby was not allowed a space at the Alexandra Park Child Care Centre because the rules/legislation were such that only children over age 2 could attend at the centre. This meant that the young mother would lose her place in the nursing program because she had no one to care for her child. Desperate and teary-eyed, the young mother walked into the local office of MP Dan Heap and told her story honestly. Mr. Heap listened in a fatherly and sympathetic manner. After her tears were over and she was feeling much calmer, Mr. Heap asked her to take a walk with him. Surprised, she agreed and together they walked down Spadina Avenue, where Mr. Heap pointed out the location of the Scott Mission, telling the young woman of the availability of free food and diapers to be gotten there monthly if she ever needed some. Mr. Heap also said many hellos to people on Spadina as the two walked towards the Alexandra Park housing project. Once there, Mr. Heap requested he speak with the person in charge — Mrs. Depoke. In a very short but direct conversation between the two, Mr. Heap was able to convince Mrs. Depoke that the rules as they existed prevented a young woman from returning to school, thus hindering the opportunity for a better future for herself and her baby. This was late on a Friday afternoon. The baby girl commenced daycare the following Monday morning and the young woman went off to school.

Recently the young woman, now 26 years older, had her prayers of saying thank you answered. She met the son of the MP who had helped her so many years ago and she decided to put her heartfelt and sincere thanks into this letter.

Mr. Heap, I’d like to say thanks for the care and compassion you extended to me and my daughter Ahisha so long ago. It has been long overdue but I have never forgotten that through your kind actions, you removed a barrier and made it possible for me to attend school knowing that my child was safe and well cared for. Ahisha is now a young woman of 29 with an 8-year-old daughter of her own. She, too, was able to pursue her education and undertook the profession of law. Ahisha works as duty counsel in a North York courthouse. My name is Nadira Fraser and I am a wife, mother, grandmother and a fine nurse. I love my work and will never forget that your kindness had a great influence and impact in my life. I do sincerely hope that all is well with you. I’m enclosing a photograph of Ahisha and I from her law school call to the bar. If there is a time that I may lend my support as a nurse, I hope you would not hesitate to call.

Sincerely and respectfully,

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Nadira

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